How to Remove Paint Chips From a Car

Written by cameron easey| 13/05/2017

(red car detail image by .shock from Fotolia.com)

Over time, the once pristine finish on your car may develop paint chips from stones flung from car tires. Removing paint chips from your car is as easy as blending touch-up or colour match paint onto the affected area. Begin by first preparing the damaged area prior to applying touchup or colour match paint to remove the chip.

Apply a small amount of organic degreaser to a shop rag then rub it in a circular motion over the area of the paint chip to remove any dirt from the area.

Shake the bottle of touchup paint thoroughly. If you have colour-matched paint, shake the can to mix the paint. Open the can and pour a small amount into a plastic cup or small container.

Dip the end of a toothpick into the paint. You only want a small amount of paint on the toothpick, with no large blobs of paint.

Place the toothpick onto the paint chip and allow the paint to flow from the toothpick onto the vehicle's surface. Repeat this step for other paint chips that are on the car.

Wait at least two hours for the paint you applied in Step 4 to dry.

Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until the primer has been completely covered with paint and there is no longer a depression where the paint chip was.

Allow five to seven days for the paint to dry. Soak a sanding block in water at the beginning of the seventh day for a 24-hour period.

Apply a small amount of dish soap over the paint chip repair. This will act as a lubricant for the sanding block.

Run the sanding block over the paint chip repair in one direction, either from back to front or from front to back. Repeat this process multiple times until the old and new paint has blended on the vehicle.

Wipe the repaired area with a damp rag. Wait for the area to dry then apply a car glaze to restore the paint's finish to complete the project.